One of MasterChef’s most successful winners has hit out at BBC bosses for axing star John Torode, after he was sacked over allegations he used a racist slur.
Thomasina Miers was crowned the winner of the first series of the show to be hosted by John and Gregg Wallace back in 2005, and is now the owner of restaurant chain Wahaca.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Thomasina said she ‘didn’t get’ the decision to axe John from the show, after the complaint was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg’s inappropriate behaviour.
She said: ‘I cannot believe that John got hung out to dry like that. Twenty years of his life of dedicated service. John is like the least racist person I’ve ever met … I just don’t get it.’
Thomasina did not feel compelled to comment on Gregg’s sacking by BBC bosses, but noted that ‘smutty’ kitchen jokes have been been commonplace for her.
She added: ‘I have a really smutty sense of humour so God knows what the BBC would make of some of the banter we have. I don’t think they’d approve but we have a lot of fun in the kitchens.
One of MasterChef’s most successful winners has hit out at BBC bosses for axing star John Torode , after he was sacked over allegations he used a racist slur
Thomasina Miers (seen far right) was crowned the winner of the first series of the show to be hosted by John and Gregg Wallace back in 2005
‘Obviously you can’t be making other people feel uncomfortable, but equally I think you have to have fun and be able to have a joke… The kitchen is notoriously full of innuendo and double meanings.’
John was reportedly singing the rapper’s hit Gold Digger when he was allegedly ‘caught using the racist term during after work drinks six or seven years ago’.
But, BBC News has since reported this was not the incident which led to the complaint upheld by the report.
This instead related to another incident a year earlier, when he allegedly used the same word on set after filming an episode of MasterChef and it was directed at a member of staff.
The news site added that the upheld allegation of racist language was one of nine complaints made against Torode in the report, which also related to allegations of abusive language towards junior production staff and sexual language, and which were not upheld.
These allegations were not upheld as they were unsubstantiated due to a lack of evidence or witnesses.
The Sun claims Torode used the word again whilst chatting to a friend on the MasterChef production team, who didn’t take offence.
The n-born chef has insisted ‘he had absolutely no recollection’ of using a racist term while drinking with colleagues seven years ago.
Thomasina said she ‘didn’t get’ the decision to axe John from the show, after the complaint was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg’s inappropriate behaviour
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The person who raised the complaint is understood to have ‘overheard the conversation’.
The production pal allegedly backed Torode and said he only used the racial slur as an ‘example’ and ‘apologised afterwards’.
A witness told investigators he had apologised immediately, ‘was mortified’ and ‘didn’t use the term as a slur’ in 2018.
The BBC said earlier this month that Torode’s contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an ‘extremely offensive racist term’.
The corporation has refused to say what the racist term was – as has Torode, who has claimed he did ‘not believe that it happened’.
But it was then described as the ‘worst racial slur there is’ by Richard Osman, who added of the investigation: ‘They found that to be substantively true. They found evidence that they were happy with – that that was true’.
Torode said after his sacking, in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram: ‘Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of.’
The complaint against Torode was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg Wallace’s inappropriate behaviour.
Wallace, 60, was sacked after dozens of complaints against him were upheld.
Torode identified himself as an unnamed person in the report who was accused of using ‘racist language’.
ITV have continued to host the disgraced presenter on his show he shares with his wife, Lisa; John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen.
The BBC have since gone ahead with broadcasting the amateur series of MasterChef filmed last year, before allegations against Gregg and John were upheld, though their screentime has been reduced to a minimum.
The BBC also said it had not yet taken a decision on the completed celebrity series and Christmas special, filmed with Torode and food critic Grace Dent.